Tesco U-turn on traffic-light labelling

Tesco will introduce the popular traffic-light coding system to its food labels following a U-turn from marketing chiefs.

The store had decided against using the system when it was introduced in 2005 in favour of its own guideline daily amounts (GDA) statistics.

However, the store's chief executive Phillip Clarke has announced that its packaging will soon feature a combination of both systems, so that customers can have a full wealth of information.

In an interview with retail-week.com, he explained: "Tesco has led the way in giving shoppers clear information about the food they eat and was the first retailer to put nutritional information on the front of our packs in 2005 when we rolled out our Guideline Daily Amount labels.

"We always listen to our customers and they have told us that by combining our popular GDA labels with traffic light colour coding we can make it even easier for them to make informed and healthy choices about the food they buy."

According to marketingweek.co.uk, Tesco had initially rejected the traffic-light system because it was too simplistic. However, the supermarket chain commissioned research that suggested customers would favour hybrid packaging which detailed 'at a glance' information, as well as more in-depth statistics.